12-Week HYROX Training Plan: My First HYROX
For your first HYROX, if you can already run 5 km. Four training days a week.
This plan is for someone who can run 5 km without stopping and is preparing for their first HYROX. There are four training days a week: two running days (one short and easy), a station and strength day, and a combined day where you alternate running and station work. Fit the days around your week, ideally leaving a rest day between two hard sessions.
The limited evidence available suggests that roughly 60% of HYROX race time is spent running, and aerobic fitness (VO2max) has the strongest association with finish time K6. That’s why running takes priority in this plan. At the stations, the goal for the first four weeks is to learn movements that meet the rules.
Pace guide — Easy: a pace where you can hold a conversation (effort 3–4 out of 10). Hard but controlled: a pace where you can manage a few words (7). Most of your running will be easy K3.
Run-duration rule — No single run should be more than 10% longer than your longest run in the past 30 days K5. The durations below assume you can comfortably run for 30 minutes. If your longest run is shorter, start there and increase it by no more than 10% each week.
Weight rule — For strength exercises, choose a load that lets you finish 8–12 reps with another 1–2 reps left in reserve. When you can do 1–2 reps above the target, increase the load by 2–10% that week K4. Start station work below race weight. For example, Open race weights for women are a 4 kg wall ball, 2 × 16 kg for Farmers Carry and a 10 kg sandbag; for men, they’re 6 kg, 2 × 24 kg and 20 kg (26/27 rulebook). You don’t have to reach those weights in the first four weeks. All divisions are in the division selector.
Preparing for Doubles? — You’ll run every kilometer with your partner, so the running days apply as written. From Week 2, practice taking turns with your partner on station and combined days: one works while the other rests, switching at your agreed rep count or distance.
No equipment? — Each session includes an alternative without specialist equipment (backpack, water containers, wall, stairs).
Health — If you haven’t exercised regularly for a while, have symptoms such as chest pain, dizziness or shortness of breath, or have a known condition such as heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes, talk to your doctor before starting intense training K7.
Every session: Warm-up 10 min (5 min walking or very easy running + 5 min of hip, shoulder and ankle mobility) · Cool-down 5 min walking and gentle stretching. Only the main session is listed below.
Week-by-week plan
Week 1 Foundation: get started and learn the movements
Day 1Run
30 min easy running. Finish with 4 × 15 sec strides (45 sec walking after each).
Day 2Stations and strength
Spend the final 5 minutes of your warm-up going easy on SkiErg or Row (without equipment: jog in place). Then 3 rounds, with 2 min between rounds:
- Goblet squat 10 (kettlebell or dumbbell at your chest)
- Reverse lunge 8 + 8 (each leg; start without weights)
- Romanian deadlift 10
- Push-up 8–10 (hands on a bench if needed)
- Single-arm dumbbell row 10 + 10
- Plank 30 sec
- Then Wall Ball technique: 3 × 10 with a light ball (squat, throw to the target as you stand up, catch the ball on its way down)
Without specialist equipment: goblet squat → squat holding a backpack at your chest; reverse lunge → unchanged; Romanian deadlift → use a backpack; row → use a filled water container or bag; Wall Ball → air squat + reach both arms overhead (3 × 12).
Day 3Combined
2 rounds, with 2 min walking between rounds:
- 1 km easy run
- 10 walking lunges per leg (unweighted, rear knee touching the floor)
Without specialist equipment: unchanged.
Day 4Short easy run
20 min easy.
Week 2 Foundation: meet the sleds
Day 1Run
32 min easy running + 4 × 15 sec strides.
Day 2Stations and strength
Week 1’s strength circuit (3 rounds; increase the load if appropriate under the weight rule), followed by:
- Sled Push technique: 4 × 12.5 m, light load (straight arms, forward lean, short and quick steps), 90 sec between lengths
- Sled Pull technique: 4 × 12.5 m, light load (stay behind the line, pull the rope hand over hand), 90 sec between lengths
Without specialist equipment: Sled Push → wall pushes (hands on the wall, body leaning forward, strong steps in place) 4 × 20 sec; Sled Pull → pulls with a resistance band attached to a door or post, 4 × 12, or drag a backpack while walking backward.
Day 3Combined
3 rounds, with 2 min between rounds:
- 1 km easy run
- 12 Wall Ball reps (light ball) — Doubles: 6 each
Without specialist equipment: Wall Ball → 12 air squats + arms overhead.
Day 4Short easy run
20 min easy.
Week 3 Foundation: Burpee Broad Jump and carries
Day 1Run
8 min easy + 4 × 3 min hard but controlled (3 × 2 min easy between efforts) + 8 min easy. Total 34 min. The week’s only hard run.
Day 2Stations and strength
Strength circuit (3 rounds), followed by:
- Burpee Broad Jump technique: 4 × 5 reps (chest to the floor, jump forward with both feet), 60 sec between sets
- Farmers Carry: 4 × 50 m with two moderately heavy kettlebells or dumbbells (upright torso, short and quick steps), 60 sec between sets
Without specialist equipment: Farmers Carry → cover the same distance with two filled water containers or two bags.
Day 3Combined
3 rounds, with 2 min between rounds:
- 1 km easy run
- 20 m Farmers Carry + 5 Burpee Broad Jump reps
Without specialist equipment: Farmers Carry → water containers.
Day 4Short easy run
25 min easy.
Week 4 Foundation: lighter week and a 5 km check-in
Total training load drops this week, with a check-in run to see where you are at the end of the month.
Day 15 km check-in run
After 10 min of easy warm-up, run 5 km at a hard but controlled, even pace. Note your time (enter it in the target time planner’s “My 5 km time” field). Then walk for 5 min.
Day 2Stations and strength
Strength circuit (2 rounds this week), followed by:
- SkiErg: 3 × 250 m (hinge at the hips as you pull your arms down), 90 sec between efforts
- Row: 3 × 250 m (push with the legs, follow with the torso, finish with the arms), 90 sec between efforts
Without specialist equipment: SkiErg → downward resistance-band pulls 4 × 15; Row → bent-over backpack rows 4 × 12 + 30 sec jogging in place.
Day 3Combined
3 rounds, with 2 min between rounds:
- 1 km easy run
- One station movement per round, in order: Round 1, 250 m SkiErg or Row · Round 2, 2 × 12.5 m Sled Push · Round 3, 12 Wall Ball reps
Without specialist equipment: use the alternatives above.
Day 4Short easy run
20 min easy.
Week 5 Build: gradually increasing volume
From this week, Day 4 becomes the week’s only hard run instead of a short easy run. Day 1 stays long and easy.
Day 1Long easy run
37 min easy.
Day 2Stations and strength
Strength circuit (3 rounds, increase loads under the weight rule), followed by:
- Sled Push 4 × 12.5 m and Sled Pull 4 × 12.5 m, moderate load (below race weight), 90 sec between lengths
- Wall Ball 3 × 15, 60 sec between sets
Without specialist equipment: Sled Push → wall pushes 5 × 20 sec; Sled Pull → band pulls 5 × 12; Wall Ball → 3 × 15 air squats + arms overhead.
Day 3Combined
4 rounds, with 90 sec between rounds:
- 1 km easy run
- In order: 15 Wall Ball reps · 2 × 12.5 m Sled Push · 20 m Farmers Carry · 10 lunges per leg — Doubles: split the reps in half
Without specialist equipment: use the alternatives above; Farmers Carry → water containers.
Day 4Intervals
6 min easy + 5 × 3 min hard but controlled (4 × 2 min easy between efforts) + 6 min easy. Total 35 min.
Week 6 Build: longer station distances
Day 1Long easy run
40 min easy.
Day 2Stations and strength
Strength circuit (3 rounds), followed by:
- Burpee Broad Jump 4 × 10 m, 60 sec between sets
- Farmers Carry 4 × 75 m, 60 sec between sets
- SkiErg 3 × 500 m easy to moderate, 2 min between efforts
Without specialist equipment: Farmers Carry → water containers; SkiErg → band pulls 3 × 20.
Day 3Combined
4 rounds, with 90 sec between rounds:
- 1 km easy run
- Two stations back to back: 250 m Row + 15 Wall Ball reps (Rounds 1 and 3) · 2 × 12.5 m Sled Pull + 10 lunges per leg (Rounds 2 and 4)
Without specialist equipment: Row → 30 sec jogging in place + 12 bent-over backpack rows.
Day 4Intervals
6 min easy + 4 × 4 min hard but controlled (3 × 2 min easy between efforts) + 6 min easy. Total 34 min.
Week 7 Build: longer combined blocks
Day 1Long easy run
43 min easy.
Day 2Stations and strength
Strength circuit (3 rounds), followed by:
- Sled Push and Sled Pull 4 × 12.5 m, close to race weight (if technique holds), 2 min between lengths
- Sandbag Lunge 3 × 20 m (bag on your shoulders), 90 sec between sets
- Wall Ball 3 × 20, 60 sec between sets
Without specialist equipment: Sandbag Lunge → lunges with a backpack on your shoulders.
Day 3Combined
5 rounds, with 90 sec between rounds:
- 1 km easy-to-moderate run
- In order: 500 m SkiErg · 2 × 12.5 m Sled Push · 20 m Burpee Broad Jump · 500 m Row · 25 Wall Ball reps
Day 4Intervals
6 min easy + 5 × 4 min hard but controlled (4 × 2 min easy between efforts) + 6 min easy. Total 40 min.
Week 8 Lighter week
Volume drops for a recovery week. Most sources include a week like this every 3–4 weeks. That interval isn’t a fixed scientific rule; it’s common practice.
Day 1Long easy run
35 min easy.
Day 2Stations and strength
Strength circuit (2 rounds), then Wall Ball 2 × 15 and Farmers Carry 3 × 50 m.
Day 3Combined
3 rounds: 1 km easy run + 15 Wall Ball reps / 2 × 12.5 m Sled Push / 10 lunges per leg.
Day 4Intervals
6 min easy + 4 × 3 min hard but controlled (3 × 2 min easy between efforts) + 6 min easy. Total 30 min.
Week 9 Build: the highest-volume week
Day 1Long easy run
47 min easy. The plan’s longest run.
Day 2Stations and strength
Strength circuit (3 rounds), then at race weight:
- Sled Push 4 × 12.5 m + Sled Pull 4 × 12.5 m (full stations), 2 min between lengths
- Farmers Carry 2 × 100 m
- Wall Ball 4 × 25
Day 3Combined
6 rounds, with 60 sec between rounds:
- 1 km moderate run (the pace you plan to run in the race; “Run pace” in the target time planner)
- In order: 500 m SkiErg · 2 × 12.5 m Sled Push · 2 × 12.5 m Sled Pull · 40 m Burpee Broad Jump · 500 m Row · 50 Wall Ball reps
Day 4Intervals
6 min easy + 3 × 6 min hard but controlled (2 × 3 min easy between efforts) + 6 min easy. Total 36 min.
Week 10 Race-specific: half simulation
Day 1Long easy run
45 min easy.
Day 2Stations and strength
Strength circuit (2 rounds), then Farmers Carry 2 × 100 m and Sandbag Lunge 2 × 50 m at race weight.
Day 3Half simulation
The first half of the race, at race weights and your planned race pace, with no rest between rounds:
- 1 km run + 1,000 m SkiErg
- 1 km run + 50 m Sled Push
- 1 km run + 50 m Sled Pull
- 1 km run + 80 m Burpee Broad Jump
Record your split times and compare them with the first four sections in the target time planner. Doubles: share the stations as you will on race day.
Without specialist equipment: complete the half simulation using the alternatives above; don’t compare the times with the planner.
Day 4Race pace
6 min easy + 3 × 1 km at race pace (2 × 2 min easy between efforts) + 6 min easy. Approximately 33 min.
Week 11 Taper 1: volume drops by roughly a third
Keep the same number of training days and the same pace in the hard efforts; reduce only the total volume K1.
Day 1Easy run
25 min easy + 4 × 15 sec strides.
Day 2Stations and strength
Strength circuit (2 rounds, same load, 8 reps), then Wall Ball 2 × 20 and Sled Push 2 × 12.5 m at race weight.
Day 3Combined
3 rounds at race pace: 1 km run + 500 m Row / 25 Wall Ball reps / 2 × 12.5 m Sled Pull.
Day 4Race pace
6 min easy + 2 × 1 km at race pace (2 min easy between efforts) + 6 min easy. Approximately 25 min.
Week 12 Taper 2 and race day
Volume drops by roughly 60%. Rest or just walk during the final two days before the race K1.
Day 1 (6–5 days before the race)Easy run
20 min easy + 4 × 15 sec strides.
Day 2 (4 days before the race)Short refresher
Warm-up + 2 rounds: 10 Wall Ball reps, 2 × 12.5 m Sled Push, 20 m Farmers Carry, all light. Finish feeling fresh.
Day 3 (3 days before the race)Short race-pace session
6 min easy + 2 × 500 m at race pace (2 min easy between efforts) + 6 min easy.
Race day
Take your race card from the planner with you. Start the first kilometer slower than planned.
Doubles — Finalize how you’ll share the stations in the week before the race. Don’t try a new arrangement.
Sources
The K1–K7 markers in the text refer to the principles and studies below.
- K1 · Tapering before a race Bosquet L et al. Effects of tapering on performance: a meta-analysis. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2007
- K2 · Combining running and strength training Schumann M et al. Compatibility of concurrent aerobic and strength training. Sports Med, 2022 Petré H et al. Development of maximal dynamic strength during concurrent training. Sports Med, 2021
- K3 · Running intensity distribution Seiler S. Training intensity and duration distribution in endurance athletes. Int J Sports Physiol Perform, 2010 Stöggl TL, Sperlich B. The training intensity distribution among well-trained and elite endurance athletes. Front Physiol, 2015
- K4 · Increasing strength training loads American College of Sports Medicine. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2009
- K5 · Sudden increases in run duration Frandsen JSB et al. How much running is too much? Identifying high-risk running sessions in a 5200-person cohort. Br J Sports Med, 2025 Buist I et al. No effect of a graded training program on the number of running-related injuries. Am J Sports Med, 2008
- K6 · Running's share of HYROX Brandt T et al. Acute physiological responses and performance determinants in Hyrox. Front Physiol, 2025
- K7 · Health before you start Riebe D et al. Updating ACSM’s recommendations for exercise preparticipation health screening. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2015